Seed-coen back



W. LANE.

SEED CORN RACK, APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27, l917- RENEWED JAN: 10.1919- 1,310,486. Patented July 22,1919.

ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 6a., WASHINGTON. n. c.

nrrnn STATES mm FEEC,

WILLIAM m or MGLEAN, ILLINOIES.

snnn-conn nAcK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed September 27, 1917, Serial No. 193,563. Renewed January 10, 1919. Serial No. 270,588.

To all whom it may concern: Be. it known that I, WILLIAM LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mc- Lean, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in fieed-Co-rn Racks,-of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved seed corn rack and more particularly to structures of this character intended for use in handling and properlycuring or drying seed corn in quantities.

An object of my invention is to provide a structure of the character above set forth which allows for the placing of a number v of cars of'corn to be properly held and supported for free circulation of air entirely therearound, and which includes a protective screen mounted over the supporting frame work to guard-against injury of the corn by rats, mice, and the like.

-A further object residesin constructing a supporting frame work and mounting ear supporting structure from said frame work to allow for placing a large number of cars of corn in such a wayv that they will be out of contact with each other and with any parts of the structure, except as holding spikes are penetrated into the cobs. Yet another object is to providea protective covering or screen which is' of such character that free and ready access may be had to the interior of the structure for the placing and the removal of the corn, but when this protective screen work isfitted place it will positively exclude rats, mice, I

and the like.

With the above and'other objects in view,

which will be in part described and in part understood from the specification, drawings, and'cla'ims, my invention conslsts in certain Fig.- 3 is a fragmentary sectional view to illustrate the way in which the receiving racks are mounted in conjunction with the this supporting frame structure somewhat from the ground or floor. Gross supporting members d are mounted transversely between the top and bottom side cross bars, these cross supporting members being preferably made of angle iron and having one of the side flanges thereof depending downwardly substantially after i the manner shown in Fig. 3.

The cross supporting members a which are disposed at the top of the supporting frame to have the flanges extend downwardly and at the bottom of the frame with one of the flanges disposed upwardly, have a plurality of perforations or openings 5 provided throughout the length of these flanges, the

; openings or perforations 5 of the upper bars being vertical alinement with the openings of the lower bars; Wire or rod members 6 are looped at their ends through the openings 5 of the cross supporting bars 4 and are drawn tightly between the upper and lower cross supporting bars to thus be held substantially parallel and presented in continuous rows transversely across the supporting frame structure. These wire or rod members '6 are to have the ears of corn mounted and supported thereon, and a plurality of spurs or pins -7 are mounted or formed in pairs upon these rods and are disposed at a slight angle upwardly, so that theypresent substantially a herringbone appearance. The rods 6 might have the spurs or pins 7 cut from the body thereof and bent outwardly to extend at the proper angle, these spurs or pins might be welded on the rods 16, or the parts could be formed in any other'suitableanddesired manner. To insure that the ears carried by adjacent rows of the rods will notcome in contact, these rows will be sufliciently spaced apart to accommodate ears of maximum length, and due to the fact that the spurs or pins 7 are properly spaced apart and are all disposed angularly from the rods 6,"the cars will be, when impaled upon these pins or spurs, in properly spaced relationship and held against displacement.

I am not endeavoring to set forth any particular dimension for the supporting frame, or any particular spacing of the rows of rods having the spikes or spurs thereon, I have found that in use a supporting frame structure which will give a clearance of substantially two feet between the rows of rods and approximately one foot from the end rows to the ends of the frame structure is particularly advantageous as then allowance is made for the larger sizes of ears and it is of course understood that shorter ears will be very well accommodated. With a frame structure substantially five feet high by five feet wide, and having three rows of the rods 6 arranged transversely thereon in their vertical and parallel mounting, approximately twenty seven bushels of seed corn, more or less, can be accommodated, and

thus it will be seen that a maximum quan-' tity of corn can be handled in a comparatively limited space, while at the same time each individual ear will be held and supported independently and absolutely out of contact with other or adjacent ears, and further, it will be apparent that a free circulation of air in natural currents through the rack structure and around the ears carried thereby can take place.

As has been stated above, it is a purpose of my invention to so construct the frame that provision is made for accommodation of a protective covering or screen, and when angle iron frame members are used, it will be appreciated that a substantially rabbeted frame structure will be provided for reception of frames 8 which have the screen or protective fabric 9 stretched and secured therearound. Hooks 10, or other suitable fastenings might be employed in securing these frames 8 in place. It will of course be appreciated that to protect the contents of the rack against mice, rats, and the like,

7 it will be necessary to, provide covering for the top and bottom of the supporting frame, and to give free and proper circulation this covering is preferably of quarter inch mesh wire netting, or of other like material, and as the netting is mounted on frames and these are removably held in place by the fastenings 10, access can be readilyhad to the interior of the rack by simply loosening the fastening. If desired, the frame portions, having the wire netting carried thereon could be mounted to slide after the manner of the usual sliding door, or could be otherwise fitted to the frame.

From the foregoin it will be seen that I have provided a rac: which is adapted to hold seed corn, and which is of such constructlon that it can be changed in its size, as manufactured, to be adaptable for useby the individual farmer in caring for his own seed corn, or by professional seed men in caring for and storing large quantities of seed, and further it will be noted that the tective covering for the supporting frame.

ears will be positively held and supported against displacement and against contact of one ear with the other, while free circulation is provided for through the racks and around the ears, thus insuring against overheating, molding or sprouting, provided the rack is properly located or housed.

While I have herein shown and described only one specific construction, it will of course be understood that changes and variations might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts as well as in the manner of constructing and setting up the same, and hence I wish to be limited to only such points as may be set forth in the claims.

1. A seed corn rack including a supporting frame structure madeup of uprights and cross bars, cross supporting members mounted transversely at the top and bottom of said supporting frame, rods connected with theupper and lower cross supporting bars to thus be disposed in upright and parallel relation, and spikes carried by said rods to have ears of seed corn impaled thereon.

2. A seed corn rack including a supporting frame structure made up of uprights mounted transversely at the top and bottom of said supporting frame, rods connected with the upper and lower cross supporting bars to thus be disposed in upright and parallel relation, spikes carried by said rods to have ears of seed corn impaled thereon, and a protective netting covering for the supporting framestructure.

3. A seed corn rack including a support ing frame structure made up of uprights and the cross bars, cross supporting members mounted transversely at the top and bottom of said supporting frame, rods connected with the upper and lower cross supporting bars to thus be disposedin upright and parallel relation, spikes carried by said rods to have ears of seed corn impaled thereon, frame portions having protective netting stretched thereto provided to be fitted to the sidesof the supporting frame structure, and means to mount saidframes removably in place.

. f. A seed corn rack including a supporting frame structure made up of uprights and cross bars, crosssupporting bars mounted transversely at the top and bottom of the supporting frame structure and each provided with a plurality of openings, rods having spikes disposed angularly therefrom throughout their entire length bent to have the ends thereof received through the openings of the upper and lower cross support ing bars to thus mount the rodsin upright and parallel disposition withthe spikes extending laterally fromthe rows, and a pro- 5. A seed corn rack comprising a supporting frame, said supporting frame comprising a plurality of uprights and cross bars, cross supporting members mounted transversely at the top and bottom of said supporting frame, said supporting members provided with angularly extending flanges interposed between the side cross bars of the rack and constituting a transverse reinforcing means for the rack, said supporting member provided with a plurality of spaced apertures formed therein, and rods having their ends passing through said apertures and interposed between the bottom and top cross supporting members and being disposed in upright and parallel relation.

6. A seed corn rack comprising a supporting frame, said supporting frame comprising a plurality of slde angle members, a plurality of uprights connecting the side angle members, said side angle members provided with depending flanges along the inner side edges thereof, a plurality of cross supporting members mounted transversely at the top and bottom of said frame, supporting bars interposed between said supporting members, a frame placed upon each side of said rack, a wire mesh covering for said frames, said frames fitted within the angle side members and having their outer faces flush with the outer edges of said angle side members, and securing means carried by said angle side members and engaging said frames for firmly holding said frames in engagement with said rack.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM LANE.

FRED. A. UTTERBACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

